Anthology
by Letale
Summary: Every character has his story, some have yet to be told. A collection of mini-stories about the many faces of 07-Ghost. May contain spoilers from the manga.
1. セト　Ｉ: Someday

_Disclaimer_: I would like to thank the wonderful manga artist and storyteller for creating 07-Ghost. I would also like to remind everybody who reads this ever-growing collection that I am not the creator, nor am I affiliated in any way with this manga or anime series. I am simply borrowing these characters for the enjoyment of all.

**アンソロジ**

ラブラドール

The light filtered gently through the few remaining clouds and lit the space up as though it were aflame with fireworks confined to the Earth. This was his favourite place on Earth, where the natural smells tickled at his nose and every sight beckoned his attention. There was a certain comfort that accompanied dirt, something about it's warm smell and promise of life.

Labrador gazed serenly out of one of the windows of the vast estate. He knew he was supposed to be studying - but what child would study when left alone? His father was busy appeasing the masses, the unfortunate souls who needed his words, as though he was their only saviour. His father had built an empire from what had once been a humble farming business, fueled by his disdain for the church and all things _godly_. He now thrived by acting as a guiding light for those who could not find their own, feeding their needs with the dark concoctions that they grew in their gardens.

He had to give the man credit – he had discovered the darkest secrets of the plant world, and he now used these together with his words laced with greed to seduce the needy. Labrador was too weak minded, as his father put it, to take up the family business. Rather than let his son explore the world around him, he kept him confined to studying and wandering the gardens.

That was now his favourite place, his whole world. He loved the sights and smells, they were as much a part of him as his forsight. His eyes glazed over suddenly as a vision overcame him, but it passed as easily as it had come. Wordlessly, he left the books behind and headed for the garden.

He would be yelled at by his tutor for not studying, his father would express his disgust with his lack of effort yet again, but Laborador was compelled by his vision. He quickly wandered to the furthest edge of the garden and peeked through a hole in one of the rotten slats of the worn out fence.

The beauty that blessed his eyes was exquisite. Humble robes of the purest white, dampened by the dew that covered the landscape. They fluttered briefly in the breeze while the wearer turned briefly and stared straight at him. Labrador took a startled step backwards, embarassed to be caught peeking. He quickly pressed his face against the fence only to be disappointed – the visitor had disappeared a silently as a ghost.

He turned around with a heavy heart, he knew of those people, they were God's people. Servents who tirelessly worked for the good of everybody. They clothed, they fed, they educated, they gave shelter to and saved anybody who needed it. Though they might sound similar, they bore no resemblance to his father who helped only for his own profits - they helped out of love.

A part of Labrador yearned to sneak through the fence and go after the mysterious man, for deep down he felt a certain kinship.

He had never seen a church, or spoken with one of its individuals. Contact of any type with the church was strictly forbidden by his father after all. But he felt as though the church had some use for him, as though God was calling to him. He hid this endless curiosity from his family, only his lone tutor expressed some form of sympathy for him. He occasionally brought him books wrapped tightly in cloth, whispering hurriedly into his ear that he dare not be caught with this book by his father or it would be both of their heads. Labrador would sneak them into his bedroom at night, becoming intranced by the many bibles of the Barsburg kingdom, or working hard to memorize all the different properties of plants.

With a soft sigh Labrador glanced back toward the estate to see his tutor beckoning him from a window. He gave one last glace back at the fence before he set off, a final longing and curious look. His vision had been that one day he too would wear robes of white, but it seemed that fate was not meant for him yet.

_Someday_ – he thought to himself. He bent over to pluck a silver rose before he started his dash back towards the estate. Someday he would see a church and work for the true benefit of the people. Someday he would be freed from the large building surrounded by sprawling gardens of misfortune. Some day he would be free to drift in the wind just like the seeds of the plants he so adored.


	2. セト　Ｉ: Prison

_Disclaimer_: I would like to thank the wonderful manga artist and storyteller for creating 07-Ghost. I would also like to remind everybody who reads this ever-growing collection that I am not the creator, nor am I affiliated in any way with this manga or anime series. I am simply borrowing these characters for the enjoyment of all.

_Notes:_ I apologize for the slowness of my updates. I had begun to write a chapter for Frau, but I became disinterested in the story I was telling after I realized that it was simply a convoluted collection of mixed thoughts. Even now, I am a little confused by this chapter. I had imagined that each of Anthology's chapters would centre on a certain character, but this one almost seems to equally give light to two. Well, anyways, let me know what you think. Sorry it's a short one!

**アンソロ****ジ**

カストル/ァゼット

He carried his tension heavily in his neck and across his broad shoulders. His head was bowed as he stared emptily at his workspace. Unlike most days, today he sat motionless, his fingers did not weave together the delicate materials of his creations – his glasses did not glint with his passion. He simply sat alone for many hours. Even when the sun began to set and cast ever more shadows throughout his room, he continued to sit unmoving.

He had come in after a long meeting with his father, the meetings were never pleasant. He had walked into the room wordlessly, his stiff movements betraying his soured mood. There had not been a friendly wave, he hadn't bothered to greet. Instead he moved immediately to his workbench, the place where he created life, but there was no life in him tonight.

He heaved a heavy sigh just then and lurched forward suddenly, bringing his forehead to rest on the cool wood of the desk. How she wished then that she could hold him, speak to him in his own tongue rather than the wispy notes that flowed from her lips.

Instead she settled for watching him silently from her space – for the first time the water seemed like a prison.

_Castor…_


	3. セト　Ｉ：Reasons

_Disclaimer_: I would like to thank the wonderful manga artist and storyteller for creating 07-Ghost. I would also like to remind everybody who reads this ever-growing collection that I am not the creator, nor am I affiliated in any way with this manga or anime series. I am simply borrowing these characters for the enjoyment of all.

_Notes:_ This segment was a real pain to write out. For some reason, this piece wasn't something that came to easily to me. Maybe it's his complex relationships that get in the way… either way, here it is. And for those who have been wondering about the Japanese characters below, the first set is the name of this story in Japanese. The second set is the katakana version of the name(s) of the characters that the chapter is about. I think I may keep this format, but I plan to do Anthology in segments that focus on a particular aspect of this wonderful story. As you can probably tell, the first segment is dealing with the past.

**アンソロ****ジ**

フラウ

For many nights he paused just before he leapt from the arched window. He had always willed himself to be a strong person, but thoughts always swarmed him before he set out. He settled on the edge of the window, clutching at his bascule while his free hand fisted the material just above his heart. Why was there always so much pain – ever since he came to this place his heart ached and his thoughts betrayed him.

_Why do I do this?_

He was sure that if Bastian caught him on one of these midnight escapades, he would gently ask him the same question. He wasn't sure if he had any answers. He grimaced as he saw a ghostly shadow slowly making its way down the long hall.

Maybe he would say that he did it for his _friends_. He was brought here alone, left behind by the others as they now carved their way through the next world. It was because he was the youngest, the smallest, the one they all mockingly called 'little brother'. He had always needed to be defended, but now through this new power he would show them that he could be just as strong as all of them.

Maybe he would say that he did it for _family_. He had no family, at least none that could be remembered. The boys he ran with had been his sole family, and they would have done anything to help each other right? But he hadn't had the power to help them then. The church was like a family to the people who lived beyond its' holy walls. He may not have been able to help his friends, but as someone who lived in the church, he would be able to those who needed it.

He knew that he definitely would not say it was for _god_. If there really was a god, then there would not be suffering here in this world. That was his firm belief. And if there was a god, than he clearly did not care about those who toiled below, so why should he care about something that lived so far above?

His lips quirked as a sudden thought flowed to him. Maybe he could tell Bastian that the being that had invaded his mind on the night of the _accident_ compelled him to go each night. Every moment he had lived since that night had been punctuated by the cold, dense _thing_ that rested heavily at the base of his mind. Even now it shuddered with displeasure at his traitorous thoughts. _No_, he assured it, he wouldn't be telling Bastian that story.

_I feel a little lighter after I exterminate a Kor… in my heart._

It was the absolute truth, but not the full truth. Eliminating the Kor lifted him to a new plane above himself; a place where the darkness in his mind shifted and released him from its' crushing weight, a place where he was just a little bit closer to reaching his friends again.

He was here in the church to atone for his weaknesses, both in body and spirit. His weaknesses had caused him to be a burden, someone who watched from the sidelines and always needed help. When they had needed help, he hadn't had the strength to do a single thing – and when he had wanted to go with them most, he had been unable.

He stared mutely over the church compound as the tiny light down the hallway bobbed ever closer.

_Eliminating Kor won't bring you any closer to them, nor will it bring them any closer to you._

He was sure that's what Bastian would say back to him in response.

_I know that old man, definitely_.

Maybe it was because Bastian was Bastian that he wouldn't be able to understand. He eliminated the Kor because Bastian did – because he watched him do it and saw the love and relief that it brought to the faces and families of the victims. He did it selfishly so that he could obtain the same level that Bastian had. He was a man that everybody respected, that everybody could rely on, and most importantly someone who could protect those that needed it.

But far more important to Frau was that Bastian showed him that through eliminating Kor, he could save people. He could save them from the darkness, renew the love in their hearts. The bonds that the victims and their families had grew only stronger – after this they would never be left behind.

_Bastian, I do it because I want to be just like you._


End file.
